After Darillium - T rated version
by LM541
Summary: What if the Doctor had found young Melody after Demons Run? What if River had gone to the Library before Manhattan? My take on series 7, goes AU after 'A Good Man Goes to War' but the events of 'The Wedding of River Song' still happened. Check my page for the M rated version if you are comfortable with more graphic content
1. Prologue

Prologue

After Darillium

The Doctor shook with tears, slowly falling to his knees on the glass floor in front of the console. She was gone. River Song, his wife, the woman who has stolen his hearts, was dead. Maybe not truly, he would still have a few encounters with her younger self, especially the teenage version of her now living with Amy and Rory.

He cried, for what felt like days the Doctor lay on the floor of the TARDIS and wept at his loss. There was nothing he could do, not anymore, he'd finally been to Darillium and lived the final hours he had with his wife. He cried because if he didn't he might forget the pain. Most of all he cried because he couldn't bear to see the look on her parents faces when he told them she was gone.

_A few hours previously _

River walked out the TARDIS and watched the blue box fade away. There had been something wrong with her Doctor, she was sure of it. He had been out of character, he'd cried at Darillium, he'd given her a version of his sonic, but the strangest thing was the dream he had earlier.

They had both been lying in bed, the Doctor asleep but River still awake considering the thought that there was something wrong with him. River pressed her body against the Doctor's back and nuzzled her face against his neck. The Doctor began to stir but River leant close and whispered into his ear.

"Hush sweetie, sleep"

When the Doctor continued to stir, River noticed his shoulder lightly jerking as if trying to pull away from and invisible force.

"Why do you even have handcuffs?" River let out a soft giggle, thinking that the Doctor was dreaming about one of their more extravagant meetings. So content in this thought River had not noticed the change in his voice.

When the Doctor stirred again, his muscles tensed and still he pulled against the invisible handcuffs. This time the Doctor's breathing became ragged and he was letting out groans, not of pleasure and excitement as River had thought, but of fear and pain. At this point River realised that he was having a nightmare.

"It's ok Doctor, I'm here, you're safe" she spoke to him sitting up and stroking his back.

"Stop this now, this is gonna kill you! I'd have a chance, you don't have any." This time when he spoke River heard that his voice, his accent, wasn't his. This was not her Doctor. "River, please, No!" River couldn't bear to see him in such pain, his nightmare now real for her as well.

"Doctor," she pleaded, trying to shake him awake, "Doctor, please wake up"

"Time can be rewritten!" He was calling back to the version of her in his dream. "River," he almost sobbed, sounding completely defeated. She continued to shake the Doctor to consciousness and as his eyes fluttered opened they locked with hers. "River?" He questioned, doubting his own eyes after the nightmare. River pulled the doctor into her arms.

"Don't worry, your safe it was just a dream" she assured him.

At that the Doctor only held her tighter "You were dying, you were dying for me and I couldn't stop it." At this point the Doctor didn't give a damn about spoilers, he knew River would only think it was a dream.

"Oh sweetie," she whispered' "It was just a dream, you'll always save me you ridiculous, brilliant man." She pressed her lips against his in a long but silent kiss. "Better now sweetie?" The Doctor grinned at her

"Much better," he said, his voice then dropped to that low, seductive tone he used only when with her "But maybe you should make sure I'm completely better"

River saw that twinkle in his eye and decided this was going to be a long night. That had been nearly 5 hours ago now. River was still sure that there had been something wrong with the Doctor but decided she would question him about it after she returned from The Library.


	2. Chapter 1 - Timelines

Chapter 1

Timelines

The TARDIS landed with a considerably lower amount of force than she had been lately. The Doctor knew she had been in mourning for River just as he had been, though being a time machine she must have known this has been coming just as the Doctor had.

Since Darillium the Doctor had been traveling on his own for quite some time, he wasn't sure exactly how long, but after Bowie Base 1 he had been more careful when flying solo. He had not been choosing where he traveled, the TARDIS did that for him, so never knowing where danger would be kept the Doctor on his toes.

For the first few travels the TARDIS stayed away from trouble giving the Doctor time to grieve. She had also not taken him back to tell Rory and Amy yet but given choice he wouldn't have gone himself. Rory and Amy, the Doctor still dreaded the day he would find himself in the Ponds house and have to explain to them why their grown up River, his wife, would never be seen again.

Though that wasn't strictly true. After Demons Run the Doctor had searched for and found the young River, Melody Pond, and returned her to her parents. Having their child returned to them, even as a three year old, had been so ridiculously emotional in the Pond's house the Doctor almost left as even he began happy crying, human-y wuman-y. Of course at the first sign of him walking towards the TARDIS Amy had grabbed his arm and refused to let him leave.

They still had a problem though, Melody had been trained to kill the Doctor. She hadn't tried to kill him yet no, and even though the Doctor knew his was her 3rd regeneration and she would grow up to be his River Song, it could be a problem as she became older. After he left the Ponds with three-year-old Melody, the Doctor had only seen her on two occasions between then and her seventh birthday. The Doctor had tried to be there more but being married to and often with the future version of her, made things difficult, a paradox being the serious worry.

At seeing the Doctor for what seemed like the first time for her, Melody have fallen in love with him, he hadn't been surprised of course. It hadn't helped that Amy and Rory had been telling her stories about him, and portraying him in a light the Doctor though he didn't deserve. As Melody had grown up, the whole time the Doctor had called her River (it was the having a second name just when she was with him Melody loved), her emotions had become slightly more complicated especially on her fourteenth birthday when she kissed him. Not that the Doctor minded of course, she was then and would always be his River but it was strange knowing that this was his future wife, not that the Doctor or her parents had told her that she didn't need encouraging, and even if she was a lot younger than the last time they kissed.

Amy and Rory had been angry at her for a while, despite the Doctor's argument that it would have happened eventually and it was easier sooner rather than later, at least the Doctor knew where he stood in consideration to their relationship.

Since then he had not seen Melody as River had told him about her expedition to the library. After the news the Doctor had spent as much time as possible with his wife, occasionally sending odd items and knickknacks back to the Ponds that they found on strange planets.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts the Doctor laid a hand against the TARDIS console and with the other he pulled his sonic from the charger slot. Tucking the metal into his pocket the Doctor turned and walked towards the door.

As the Doctor stepped outside the TARDIS he felt a cool wind blow across his body. He breathed the soothing air and sighed. The place he was on seemed like earth, he looked up and saw the house in front of him. Before the Doctor could work out why he recognised it he was greeted by a loud shout and a familiar redhead running towards him.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Ponds

**I'm going to try my best to update this story daily but I am in the middle of sitting my GCSE exams. There might be a few days where I don't post a chapter but I'll do my best.**

* * *

Chapter 2

The Ponds

"Where have you been?" The Doctor recognised the familiar Scottish accent and smiled as the redhead stopped in front of him.

"Amy!" The Doctor said moving to hug her.

Amy willingly moved into the time lords open arms and puts hers around him.

"Three years Doctor, you've showed up once, Melody's still upset you haven't been back after last week, what have you been doing?" Amy asked.

"Oh this and that," the Doctor only told Amy half the truth he wanted to wait until Rory was around to tell her the truth about River. The Doctor mentally cursed and thanked his TARDIS, cursed for dropping him here unprepared and thanked for dropping him here after last week, "Where's the Roman?" The Doctor asked deflecting the attention away from his own adventures.

"No, no Doctor. Last week. Well?" Amy completely avoided the Doctor's attempt to chance the topic.

"Last week?" The Doctor tried to claim ignorance. Unsuccessfully.

"Yes, last week. When I found you, with Melody, in her bedroom, on her seventeenth birthday," Amy had tried to put the situation delicately incase it hadn't happened for the Doctor yet.

"Oh, that last week," the Doctor blushed profusely. The events of Melody's seventeenth birthday had happened quite some time for him, but only recently for the Ponds. "Does Rory know?" The Doctor asked, looking almost afraid.

"No he doesn't, not yet anyway, he doesn't even know you were here last week. But he's inside getting ready for work, come on we can all have coffee before he leaves." Amy said. Just as they began to walk forward Amy turned to face him and asked "Is River with you?"

Quickly glancing back to the TARDIS the Doctor faced Amy "No not today"

"Ok then, probably best you know timelines, come on" Amy said pulling the Doctor towards the house.

Amy swiftly pushed through the back door of the house and walked into the kitchen with the Doctor at her heels.

"Rory!" Amy called into the house, "the Doctor's here," after a loud bang from upstairs Amy and the Doctor saw Rory running down the stairs.

"Oh my god, where have you been?" Rory said as the Doctor hugged him.

"Oh here and there, look sorry I didn't drop by before I lost track of time." The Doctor lied almost wholly this time.

"That's ok don't worry, River's not with you?" Rory continued.

"No she's not, oh by the way how's Melody?" The Doctor asked, once again deflecting away from himself.

"She's fine yeah, already left for school though you just missed her," it was Amy who answered this time.

'Oh good' the Doctor thought 'that'll make this easier'.

"How old is she now?" The doctor asked trying to not look nervous.

"Seventeen last Saturday," Amy told him, trying to stop Rory mentioning Melody's birthday and save the Doctor from blushing.

"Oh, good, ok" He took a step back so he could look at the couple.

"Ponds, can I talk to you?" The doctor asked.

"Uh aren't you already?" Rory said.

"You know what I mean, a serious topic, you might want to sit down"

"What for Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Just sit, please". The Doctor said, the nervousness in his voice must have been evident.

Amy and Rory at down on one side of the kitchen table and the Doctor sat on the other, making sure he was out of slapping distance in case Amy got angry at him. "

So what's this about Doctor?" Rory asked him.

"River," the Doctor paused trying to put his next word delicately "have I ever told you how I met her?" he didn't wait for a response, no one but himself knew this story now "it was at a place called The Library in the fifty-first century"

The Doctor continued with his story even though he knew the pain it would bring to both himself and his closest friends. "It was a long time ago now, in my previous body before I regenerated. I was there with a friend of mine, Donna. It was a time before I even knew who River was. I'd got a message on the physic paper, that was unsigned, asking me to go to The Library, being curious I went. When I met her she was extraordinary. She called me pretty boy and told me how young I was. She told me my name, my real name just to gain my trust, only two people in the universe know it." He stopped suddenly, memory's of the time he'd told her his name overcame his mind, the Doctor took a deep breath and continued "The Library had been taken over, by a swarm of these things called Vashta Nerada, they're like the piranhas of the air, they swarm and live in the shadows. They can tear flesh from any living thing in seconds and the Library was full of them. The Library computer system was alive, a little girl linked into the mainframe, and when the swarm hatched the computer saved everyone, uploaded them right to the hard drive, and 100 years later they were still there. The Vashta Nerada killed four of the people River was on an expedition with, and I convinced them to let us live. Maybe convinced isn't the right word, we were in a library I told them I was the Doctor and to look me up, and well they ran near enough, but not before I told them that they would let the people leave and then we would let them live in peace, the problem was downloading the saved people. The computer didn't have enough space for the transfer. I was going to hook myself up to the computer, so that it could use my memory space to complete the transfer. I knew I didn't have a high chance of surviving but River, she punched me, knocked me out. She handcuffed me, so I couldn't stop her, and she took my place."

Amy could tell what he was trying to tell them but it was Rory who spoke.

"Doctor, why are you telling us this?"

"Because you deserve to know. Your daughter, Melody Pond, River Song, was the bravest woman I knew. And she died to save me. To save a timeline I had yet to live. If she hadn't done what she did that day and I had been in her place, then I never would have met you, nor would the version of River that we know exist. But my point is that the future River, my wife, the older River we had all those adventures with, she's gone. I'm sorry"

Amy stared at him, tears streaming down her face "You bastard, that's cold" and at that Amy began to sob violently. Instinctively the Doctor reached forward to comfort her but after a glare from Rory he sat back in his chair. "You came all the way to us just to tell me how my daughter dies, even for you that is cold"

Seeing how devastated the Doctor looked Rory knew his wife's words were harsh. Though Rory wasn't grateful that the Doctor had come here to tell them he understood the reasons. Though why now Rory wasn't sure, it made sense from the Doctor's timeline, but why didn't he tell them after their Melody left to travel with him.

"I think you should go Doctor" Rory was surprised at how easy it was to say this to his closest friend.

"But.."

"Now Doctor" Rory was more firm this time still holding his wife in his arms.

Silently the Doctor stood up and walked out into the garden and towards his TARDIS. At least there was some comfort in knowing that the young Melody Pond was still going to get a life with the past Doctor, and that even now he would still see some of the girl before she left to adventure with the young Doctor or go to Luna University. That Melody Pond...

Melody Pond, River Song. The Doctor knew he could be stupid sometimes. He turned and ran back towards the house shouting out to Amy.


	4. Chapter 3 - Not Impossible

Chapter 3

Not Impossible Just a Bit Unlikely

"Amy! Rory!" The Doctor called out as he ran back to the Ponds house.

He couldn't stop himself and near enough fell through the back door. Gasping in disbelief, happiness and madness he threw a massive grin towards his two friends. Rory immediately stood up leaving Amy's side and walked up to he Doctor so their noses were almost touching.

"Doctor" he said as calmly as possible "I asked you to go"

"I know" the Doctor said still grinning like a lunatic "well isn't it obvious"

"No doctor, now please just stop," Rory didn't try to hide his anger anymore.

"No, no, don't you see. When River went to the library I gave her my sonic but I built a neural relay into it, the other me used it to store her consciousness in the library computer" the Doctor's excitement was clear and he took a step back from Rory.

"What's your point Doctor?" Rory sounded more confused than angry now.

"Your Melody Pond, my River Song, they're the same person. If River is stored on the library computer then all I need is one cell from Melody and I can use that, because every one of your cells contains the information to build a new version of you that's how cloning works, but Melody and River are the same. I can use that to bring her back!"

The whole time the Doctor spoke he hardly paused for breath. As soon as he saw the realisation on Rory's face the Doctor turned and ran upstairs to Melody's bedroom.

The Doctor threw the door to Melody's room open and he looked around frantically for anything he could use. At the back of the room the Doctor saw a hairbrush. That would be enough, just one cell. Quickly running to the back of the room the Doctor grabbed the brush and ran back to the kitchen as quickly as possible. He slid to a stop just in front of the back door and turned turned to face Rory and Amy.

"Look Ponds sorry, be back in a bit," the Doctor said to them and then turned and continued back towards the TARDIS.

As the Doctor ran across the yard he snapped his fingers and the doors flew open. The Doctor didn't think to stop and put his hands out to prevent himself falling onto the console. At sensing his thoughts the TARDIS automatically started to move the controls sending them into the vortex. The TARDIS traveled as fast as the Doctor could make her to the fifty-first century some 3 months after Ten had left her in The Library.

The TARDIS landed with a heavy thud, almost throwing the Doctor off his feet. He looked down at the small glass tube in his hand that contained a single strand of blonde hair. After one quick glance back to the console the Doctor turned and ran out of the TARDIS. The Doctor froze as he stepped out the TARDIS, the library was still flooded with Vashta Nerada. He slowly pulled the sonic from its place in his jacket and did a scan of the area. When it came up clear the Doctor ran to C.A.L, he looked at the face of the girl on the node and still felt hurt that this was a child.

"Confirm you have the records of Professor River Song," the Doctor spoke with little patience.

"Records and consciousness of River Song are within the data core" C.A.L seemed to be the only node who showed any emotion in her voice.

"With a D.N.A sample do you have the technology to download River Song into physical form?" The Doctor asked C.A.L even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes"

"Ok,ok," the Doctor moved forward slowly and placed the glass tube into a small circular device that worked similarly to a progenitor device.

The device whirred rapidly and the Doctor stepped back looking over to the chair where River had sacrificed herself. He saw her sonic still in the wall and scanned it with his own, just to make sure the neural relay wouldn't overload.

When the device stopped whirring the Doctor spun back to look at C.A.L.

"Did it work?"

His answer was a bright white light shinning from the chair. Protectively the Doctor brought an arm to cover his eyes as he looked away. As it faded the Doctor moved his arm away from eyes and saw River, his River, sat in the chair. She wasn't moving and didn't seem conscious. The Doctor thought his fears had come true, River had been dead when he saved her to the data core so what if it had returned her that way.

He pulled the sonic from his jacket pocket and scanned her. The readings showed clear vital signs and the Doctor let out a sigh of relief, she was safe. The sonic buzzed loudly, as the Doctor looked at the display it showed an increase in heart rate. Looking back to River he saw her eyes flutter open and slowly fix on his.

At first River didn't believe what she was seeing, the Doctor was stood in front of her looking in amazement. Her first thought was that after their last meeting at Darillium he had saved himself into the computer to be with her, not even the Doctor was daft enough to do that. The second was that he had done something stupid and saved her before she died, but looking around and seeing no sign of the tenth Doctor. So it must be, yes, he had done it, he brought her back.

River got up and threw herself into the Doctor's arms, which was difficult considering that she was wearing her spacesuit. Within moments they were both crying, tears of joy, and soon the Doctor was pressing his lips to hers.

"Oh River, I missed you," the Doctor cried into her shoulder.

"And I you, my love" River's attempts to stop crying had failed.

Wiping the tears from his eyes the Doctor put down his wife and looked back towards the TARDIS.

"We should probably go inside, the place is still swarming with Vashta Nerada"

The Doctor took River's hand and lead her into his ship. The TARDIS had changed since the last time she saw it, the console room was grey and metal, the light was very low. She guessed the TARDIS had changed to suit his mood that would have to change. As the Doctor closed the doors behind them their eyes met again.

"This won't do at all," River said waving her hand to indicate she was talking about the console room, "Can we change it back?"

The Doctor looked at her and nodded, "Yeah course we can, she changed the day after Darillium," he paused quickly, the pain of that day evident in his eyes.

River kissed him again, but this time with more passion and lust to make up for lost days. The Doctor never quite knew what to do when River suddenly kissed him unexpectedly so his arms flailed for a second before finding their place at her waist. He deepened the kiss before pulling away from her, remembering the Ponds.

"Romance will have to wait," he said running to the console and preparing to send them to the Ponds house.

"What's wrong sweetie?" River asked, he normally never ignored the opportunity to kiss her.

"Well, I may have... Accidentally.." The Doctor knew River would not be happy when he told her what he'd said to her parents.

"What have you done Doctor?" River was confused, the Doctor never acted like this well, not that often.

"I told your parents you were dead," The Doctor said while ducking under the console.

Exhaling heavily River walked around to where he had hidden under the console, pulled him up and firstly slapped him for being an idiot and then she pressed her lips to he pulled away he met River's eyes with a very confused look about her strange reaction.

"I don't blame you, what were you to tell them when I stopped visiting, but it was stupid."

"Your not angry " this revelation clearly confused the Doctor.

"No my love, now shall we see my parents?"

"Yes, right, I think it was a Friday when I saw them, so we might have to skip forward a few days to avoid running into Melody," the Doctor said while working with the controls.

"Any idea when you were there?" River asked him.

"It was your seventeenth birthday last Saturday, if I'm not mistaken. Why?" The doctor raised his head to look at her.

"Go to the the day after you were there, I was was staying with some friends for the weekend." River's knowledge of her childhood often helped when trying to visit the Ponds out of order.

"Ok then, hold on," the Doctor pulled down a final lever and the TARDIS span out into the vortex.

The TARDIS rocked through the vortex smoothly. River had used the stabilisers, much to the Doctors dismay, and after listening to far long at his constant complaining about the pointlessness of stabilisers. River pulled the doctor away from the console room and towards their bedroom.


	5. Chapter 4 - Re-introductions

Chapter 4

Re-introductions

River awoke to the feeling of the Doctor's fingers tracing circles around her bare back. When the Doctor realised she was awake he pressed a kiss to the exposed skin on her neck. River let out a contented sign and turned to face her husband.

"As much as I would love to stay here with you all day, we need to get up." River said.

"I think that's a ridiculous idea, I'm comfortable here," the Doctor complained

"You need to see my parents and tell them what you've done," River tried to sound more stern this time.

"The Ponds will be fine, we live in a time machine and anyway you know what they say, time flies when your having fun" the Doctor's voice had dropped to its lower tone by the end of his sentence and that gleam in his eye had returned.

"Don't make promises you can't keep sweetie" River was baiting him and she knew it.

The Doctor moved River onto her back. He took River's hands in his holding them over her head and he straddled her to prevent her from moving.

"Are you underestimating me River?" The Doctor asked with a grin.

"Would I do something so stupid?" River responded not really answering his question, but still baiting him.

The Doctor smiled, looking to River like he was deep in thought.

"I suppose your right," the Doctor said rolling off her and out of the bed, ignoring River's irritated groan.

He walked swiftly over to the bigger-on-the-inside wardrobe in his room and pulled out his usual attire.

"Right then professor Song, let's go visits your parents" The Doctor said after getting dressed.

He made his way to the console room. As the Doctor walked in the room had changed back to the bright and more vibrant feel like it had been before.

"Thanks dear" the doctor whispered to his ship as he began working on the controls.

As the doctor pulled down the last lever the TARDIS shuddered and landed in the Ponds back yard. He exhaled heavily knowing that Amy would probably be angry at him for telling them her daughter was dead and bringing her back within 24hours.

Amy was already stood outside when the Doctor walked out the TARDIS. Fully expecting to be slapped by her as she looked more angry than sad, the Doctor tensed. When nothing happened he looked at Amy and saw her smiling at his worries.

"Well what happened? Rory won't tell me why you came back, completely mad, then left." Amy was more demanding the information rather than asking for it.

"I did it Amy," the Doctor could feel small tears in his eyes.

"Did what Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Hello mother," River had walked out of the TARDIS just as Amy finished speaking.

"River?" The Doctor could see the tears in Amy's eyes as she spoke.

The two women hugged each other tightly and the Doctor stood back and watched mother and daughter laugh and cry. He turned to go into the house and was stopped when Amy threw herself at him, pulling him into a rib shattering hug.

"Amy, Amy, I need to breathe," the Doctor struggled.

"Oh sorry," Amy said letting go of him.

"Right, where's Rory," the Doctor asked.

His response was a muffled shout of joy form inside, followed by Rory running out into the garden and hugging his daughter and wife. When they all turned back to face the Doctor they all had tears trickling down their cheeks.

"Right we really should be off, can't run into Mels," the Doctor said walking back towards the TARDIS.

"No neither of you are going anywhere, Mel's is away for the weekend so pack a few bags, you are staying," Amy said sternly.

"Mother you know we can't, what if I come home early," River tried to argue against her mother.

"No you're my daughter, I've had a weird two days, you are staying here" Amy told them.

"We may as well stay, you said yourself that Melody was away for the weekend you'd remember coming home to this," the Doctor waved his hands around to indicate that he was talking about them.

"He's right River," Rory said.

River rolled her eyes at the smug look on the Doctor's face when Rory agreed with him and walked back into the TARDIS.

A few minutes later the Doctor and River were walking up to her old room in Amy and Rory's house. River pushed the wooden door open and set the few clothes she had brought down on the Doctor stood in the doorway watching his wife walk around her old bedroom and smiling at the familiar memories.

The Doctor saw River's eyes linger on one item much longer than any of the others. When he looked to see the object he realised what it was. A deep blue bow-tie was neatly placed on one of the shelves. When the Doctor remembered why it was there his cheeks turned bright red.

River noticed him blush and found herself laughing softly at him. "No need to look so embarrassed Doctor,"

"Yes well, it definitely doesn't help that was the first thing your mother questioned me about when I came here earlier."

"About the bow-tie?" River asked him.

"No about why I hadn't been here in three years other than once when she found us in your room, on your seventeenth birthday," the Doctor sounded almost as angry as he did embarrassed, almost.

"I wasn't happy that you didn't visit me for ages after that,"

"Well, would now be a good time to make it up to you?" The Doctor asked seductively, pressing a brief kiss to her lips.

"It's a bit of a late apology," River said wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, "but I think it'll do," As River finished the couple pressed their lips together again.

River's hands moved into his hair, the Doctor moved one hand to her back just below the shoulder blades and the other to River's lower back, over the waistband of her trousers. After a few moments of simply enjoying the kiss, the Doctor pulled his lips away from River's and began to softly kiss the skin of her neck.

Hearing the contended sighed coming from River only urged the Doctor on. He did so enjoy listening to her moans, sighs and coughs... Coughs?

The Doctor span round to save himself from what he thought would be Rory's wrath as he could be very protective over River at times. With a sigh of relief the Doctor saw Amy stood in the doorway. As much as Amy didn't like to see her best friend snogging her daughter she tolerated it much more than Rory did.

"Dinner in ten minutes you two, so don't get up to anything, ok" Amy said and not waiting for a response she left the room.

"I hate it when that happens," the Doctor complained.

"What, being interrupted just when things were heating up," River asked him.

"I meant being caught by your parents, it's embarrassing" the Doctor said, on seeing the pretend upset look River was pulling he corrected himself, "but being interrupted is much worse,"


	6. Chapter 5 - A Recent Past

Chapter 5

A Recent Past

The Doctor had never really understood why people found visiting in-laws awkward. Since he and River could hardly ever visit the Ponds together, but often visited apart, the only times they were all together was when they were adventuring on the TARDIS and that never really allowed difficult conversations.

Now as he lay on Melody's bed, with one arm wrapped around his wife the Doctor thought about the talk he and Rory had.

_The first thing Rory had noticed when they all had dinner were the love bites that had already formed on Rivers neck. Rory had always been protective towards River but he had never seen marks on her neck before._

_"Doctor, as much as I understand that you and River love each other, I don't think having marks like these is good for her. There are teeth marks, nearly visible teeth marks. I don't want to see anything like that on her again. Understood?"_

_At looking into Rory's eyes, the Doctor saw the unmistakable anger building within him. Not trusting himself to say the right thing the Doctor simply nodded._

_"It's not that bad anyway Rory, it's not like you've never done that to me," Amy said once her husband had backed away from the Doctor._

_"And father we are married," River spoke up before Rory had a chance to reply to Amy "and we've both done much worse than a few love bites,"_

_The Doctor ran a hand through his hair as he blushed red. Rory was blushing as well, not just at what Amy had said part of it was his increase it blood pressure after River's comment. The women shared a smirk and began laughing at their embarrassed husbands._

The Doctor sighed as he looked down at River sleeping comfortably in his arms, with her head against his chest. With the Doctor's little need for sleep the nights when he was with River, those when he had not be worn down by extra activities, seemed to last forever. The only thing that stopped his boredom was the ability to be able to look down at his River and be content in the knowledge that she was safe in his arms.

Tonight was one of the few nights, when with the Doctor, that River didn't sleep at all. She was lying in her old bed with him, curled against his side and listening to the double rhythm of his hearts sooth her. River didn't sleep because, for once, everything was perfect. She was lying in bed with her husband, their timelines were matched up and her parents knew who she was. From now on River hoped that her and the Doctor's timelines would stay in synch, since their diaries matched up and neither had any events missing, so maybe it would all work out.

When the Doctor saw River's eyes open, it was not like she had woken from sleep. It occurred to him that she had not been asleep at all, just lying there pretending to be.

He moved his head down and whispered in her ear, "you're good at that," the Doctor spoke as softly as he could.

"It's not that difficult to pretend to sleep, epically in front of you, your to busy staring at me. Some people would find that creepy you know," River replied.

"Yes well, there's obviously something on your mind, come on what is it?"

"The bow-tie,"

"The bow-tie, really, it's not a mystery, we both know why it's there"

"Not just that," River laughed "the last time we were together in this bed,"

_On the day of her seventeenth birthday Melody's parents had both gone to work. Having has the house to herself Melody has been reading some books, history books, that her mother had bought for her and was looking for a mention of her Doctor somewhere within them._

_Melody had always, that always being from when she has been returned to her parents, had an interest in history and archeology. That interest had increased 10times when she had found out that she was completely and utterly in love with a mad, tweed wearing alien who travels through time, and whom she had been raised to kill. All thoughts of killing the Doctor had been removed from the first day she met him in this new regeneration._

_It was around half past 2 when Melody had decided to make herself something to eat for lunch. Just as she walked over to the kitchen a familiar wheezing sound echoed around the house. Looking out of the glass kitchen doors Melody saw the TARDIS and ran outside to see the Doctor. Just as she reached the box the Doctor walked outside and he was greeted by Melody throwing herself at him._

_His arms closed around her, pulling her into a hug. "Hello," the Doctor said into her blonde curls._

_"I've missed you, it's been nearly three years, what have you been doing?" Melody asked as he let her go._

_"Three years eh, must have got the timings a bit out," The Doctor said guiltily._

_"I haven't seen you since my fourteenth, you kissed me then ran off," Melody told him, mock anger in her voice._

_"Oh come on River," the Doctor said, mistaking the mock anger for real anger, "you kissed me remember and you know I never leave big gaps between visits on purpose. The TARDIS is temperamental I can't control her half the time."_

_"Yeah, she thinks your the temperamental one," Melody joked._

_"Anyway, I was aiming for your sixteenth birthday, that's an important one right?" The Doctor asked._

_"Yes it's an important one but you missed it, this is my seventeenth,"_

_"Sorry, I guess this means I've missed it completely now, oh well I had presents and everything," the Doctor sighed._

_"Doctor, it's still my birthday, you can still give whatever you bought for me," Melody said with some hope._

_"No can't, I bought them for your sixteenth it would be wrong to give you them now," the Doctor was purposely trying to get Melody wound up, he would give her the presents later. He understood why River enjoyed toying with the younger versions of him._

_"Oh Doctor come on, please," Melody gave the Doctor one of the many upset looks she had perfected that would make him give in eventually._

_"No I can't, most definitely not, give me big, sad eyes as much as you want it won't work."_

_"Well, in that case," Melody began, "I'll have to try something else, but later when your least expecting it," when she finished Melody grabbed the Doctors arm and pulled him inside the house._

_When Melody pulled him through the kitchen and living room, towards the stairs the Doctor became suspicious. "River, where are you taking me?"_

_"Well my parents are out, we have the house to our selves," Melody said failing to sound innocent, the seductive tone of her voice coming through even though she tried her best to hide it._

_The Doctor knew fighting against her would be pointless, this was River, Melody. The one person in the universe whom he could not fight against. When she pulled the Doctor into her bedroom and pushed him against the closed door, he panicked._

_"River?"_

_"Yes doctor," Melody said completely innocently, though how that was possible escaped the Doctor._

_"What are you doing?" He asked._

_The response was Melody running her hands over his chest, pushing his jacket off his torso and pulling his braces down from his shoulders._

_"No, River stop, we can't do this you are far to young," the Doctor said pulling his braces back up as Melody tugged off his bow-tie._

_"River, we can't do this, I am over a thousand years old, do you know what that means?" The Doctor asked trying to divert her attention from his shirt buttons._

_"It's been a awhile?" Melody said as she pulled his braces down again._

_"You are just like you're mother," the Doctor said, this even feeling far to similar to what happened after the Byzantium._

_"Oh, you'll have to try much better than that," Melody said pressing her lips to his._

_For a moment the Doctor returned the kiss with passion as if it was River, the future River, with him now. Not the seventeen year old daughter of his best-friend. At that thought the Doctor pushed Melody away again._

_"No you're only seventeen," the Doctor tried._

_"Not the time to be concerned about my innocence." Melody said kissing him again._

_"I...I'm...out of excuses, oh hell to it," Giving in on all his self control the Doctor kissed Melody back with as much passion as he could find._

_One of his hands travelled down her lower back and dipped beneath the waistband of Melody's tightly fitted jeans. The other went to the back of her head and was buried inside the mass of blonde curls._

_As she removed the Doctor's shirt and braces, the Doctor decided that Melody was wearing far to many clothes._

_"You're wearing more than I am," the Doctor muttered between kisses._

_Melody took a step back so that the Doctor could pull her shirt over her head and toss it on the floor with his clothes. When she moved back to him the Doctor lifted Melody off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The Doctor manoeuvred them to the bed and softly lay Melody down so that's be could remove her legs from his waist._

_Using his knowledge of River and Melody's body the Doctor kissed down her collar, down to the outline of Melody's bra and into her cleavage. On feeling and hearing Melody's reaction the doctor stopped and looked up at her lust filled eyes._

_"River," the Doctor said, "River, have we..I mean have you..done this this before?"_

_When Melody bit her lip and shook her head the Doctor reached forward and placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb lightly moving back and forth across it._

_"Hey, we can stop, we don't have to do this," the Doctor said softly._

_"No, I want to,"_

_The pair quickly lost themselves exploring each others bodies. Melody made love to her Doctor for the first time, carefully learning about every detail of his body. The Doctor made love to Melody with as much passion as he could muster from his 1000 years, knowing that this could very well be his last time he could be with her._

_Melody lay down on his front, both of them breathing heavily. Both of them were oblivious to the front door open or Amy walking upstairs calling for her daughter. Neither did they hear the bedroom door open but they did hear Amy scream._

_"Mel's, I've got the din.. Oh My God!"_

_When the Doctor heard and saw Amy his arms flew up flailing and he began to stutter out some form of excuse._

_"Ah Amy...this is not what it looks like," The covers were still half way down their bodies so it was obvious to Amy that this was what it looked like and the Doctor was lying._

_"You just wait until Rory gets home," Amy said walking out the room and slamming the door._

_When Amy had walked in Melody had rolled off the Doctor and now he jumped out of the bed and began gathering his clothes._

_"Doctor," Melody began,"you're not afraid of my father are you?"_

_"Well," the Doctor said thinking about the times when Rory had found him in a heated kiss with the future River. "He's protective and he has a sword, yes, I'm scared of him,"_

_The Doctor had pulled all of his clothes back on and his hand went up to his neck._

_"Bow-tie, bow-tie," he began muttering while looking around._

_After he heard a soft giggle the Doctor turned round to see the blue fabric tied neatly around Melody's neck._

_"River, give me back my bow tie," he Doctor said cautiously._

_"I think you're missing something," Melody said with a smile._

_The Doctor leant forward and pressed and passionate kiss to Melody's lips assuming that was what she was talking about._

_"No, no Doctor, presents," Melody told him, "but the kiss was nice too,"_

_"Ah right those," the Doctor said reaching into this jacket pocket, he pulled out a long black box and handed it to Melody. "Now this," he continued as Melody pulled off the lid and gasped, "is one of the only diamonds ever harvested from the planet midnight, some 30million years in your future."_

_Melody stared in amazement at the gleaming gem in front of her._

_"The chains are made from white steel, not really an appropriate name seeing as they aren't white, that is only found in the Tiberian Spiral Galaxy, literally unbreakable, so don't worry about being too careful with it."_

_"Oh Doctor," Melody said reaching up and pulling him into another kiss._

_The Doctor was kissing Melody back with passion but stopped when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. He spun round and saw Amy stood in the doorway._

_"If your quite finished Doctor," Amy said giving him a glare that he knew was bad news._

_"Mother can the Doctor stay, he could come for dinner with us," Melody asked hopefully._

_Amy gave the Doctor a 'shall you tell her or shall I' look and he knew how awkward it would be for him to stay after being caught in bed with Melody. He didn't think that he could ever look Amy in the eye again._

_"I can't love," the Doctor said turning to face Melody, "you know me, things do do, planets to save,"_

_"But you'll be back soon?"_

_"Yeah course I will." The doctor said pressing a kiss to the top of Melody's head. He turned round and left for the TARDIS._


	7. Chapter 6 - Echoes of a Past Life

Chapter 6  
Echoes of a Past Life

When the Doctor and River awoke the next morning they found the house empty of the Ponds. Going into the kitchen to make coffee the Doctor found a note on the table. Briefly scanning over it the Doctor called River.

"It's a note from Amy,"

"What does it say?"

"Rory at work, I've been signed for another photo shoot. There's food in the fridge and we've booked a restaurant for tonight at 7 o'clock."

"Right, so we have the house to ourselves" River said.

"Yeah I suppose, how about we go sightseeing, never really been able to look around London without being attacked by aliens," the Doctor paused seeing River's look that told him he was being ridiculous. "Or not,"

"I said sweetie," River began walking up to him and putting her arms around his neck, "we have the house to ourselves,"

This time the Doctor took River's hint and smiled, pressing his lips against hers. The Doctor placed his hands on River's thighs and pulled her off the ground so she could wrap her legs around him. He took a few paces forward, not breaking the kiss, and allowed River to rest on the kitchen table.

The Doctor began running his hands over River's body and he slowly began to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. Neither the Doctor or River heard the front door open but being able to see the front-door from his position the Doctor saw Melody Pond stood in front of him with tears welling in her eyes as she took in the scene before her.

The Doctor, her Doctor, was full out snogging some woman, who wasn't her, against their kitchen table. As soon as he'd seen her he'd stopped but Melody had seen enough.

"Melody...I was just um.." The Doctor fell over his words trying to stammer out some sort of explanation that wouldn't end up with 'this is my wife'.

"I can see perfectly what's going on," Melody's tears ran freely down her face, "you bastard, everything you said last week was a lie. You said you loved me, I trusted you, I loved you, I still love you."

"Melody I..."

"Just stop Doctor. All of that and I come home to find you in my house snogging some bitch.."

The Doctors protective reflex kicked in, "Don't you dare call my wife a bitch!" The Doctor knew it was the wrong thing to say and instantly regretted it.

"You have a wife?" Melody had almost thought she could stop crying, that news brought fresh tears.

"Mel's .." The Doctor began.

"No, just stop I don't want an explanation, I don't want you to stay, just go please."

"Melody just let me..."

"Stop calling me that!" Melody was shouting at him now, "you never call me Melody, only when.." Melody paused, only now looking at the woman stood behind the Doctor. She was some years older than herself but had blonde curls, just like hers, and a sympathetic look as if she knew exactly what Melody was going through.

"Melody," the Doctor began, "This is River Song, my wife,"

"Oh wow, sorry about calling you,me, you know,"

"I understand," River began, "but when you're me you're going to regret interrupting that,"

"I'm sure I will," Melody laughed.

"Right Mel's sorry, but we need to go," The Doctor said walking back over to River.

"Ok I get it, it's a paradox right?"

"Yeah, you're catching on quick," the Doctor said proudly.

"Doctor?" River said standing by the garden door.

"Yes right, tell your parents that we're sorry we had to leave, bye Mel's," the Doctor said as he walked out the door following River.

"So," the Doctor said as he walked up to the console, "Where do you want to go now?"

"Well, there is a..." River's last words were unheard and the TARDIS made a loud bang and the engines began to groan. "Doctor, what have you done?!"

"It's not me I haven't done anything," the Doctor called back as both he and River worked with the TARDIS controls trying to figure out what was happening.

"I've got co-ordinates we're heading for Dhravis 4," River shouted over the roar of the engines.

"No not possible that planet was put under quarantine thousands of years ago,"

"Why, what caused it?"

"Vashta Nerada," the Doctor said with anger in his voice. River guessed he blamed the Vashta for her death as much as he did himself. "Landing now, hold on!"

The TARDIS crashed down with a loud bang and steam rose from the console.

"River are you alright?" The Doctor asked as he ran over to her.

"I'm fine, that wasn't one of our best landings,"

"Yeah, I don't think we had a lot of choice. The TARDIS was flying herself."

"Do you think its safe?" River asked.

"I hope not," the Doctor said running to the doors of the TARDIS.

River watched the Doctor run outside and followed quickly. When she exited the TARDIS she saw the Doctor staring at a blonde girl stood only a few feet away, a stunned look on her face.

"Jenny?" The Doctor asked the blonde girl.

"Who are you? Where's the Doctor?" Jenny asked.

"Jenny," the Doctor breathed, "it's me, I regenerated,"

"Dad?" Jenny's eyes began to well with tears.

"Yeah," the Doctor ran towards Jenny and pulled her into his arms.

The pair began crying softly into each others arms, the Doctor muttered out apologies for leaving and countless I missed you until he remembered River. As the Doctor turned round to explain the situation he was met by a heavy slap to his cheek.

The Doctor shouted out in pain. Jenny, having not seen River exit the TARDIS, assumed that this new woman was not a friend of the Doctors. She pulled a plasma pistol from a holster and pointed it at River, River brought her own pistol out and the two women were stood staring into each others eyes.

The Doctor ran between the women and pushed the guns down.

"How many times, no guns," he exclaimed as he stood back.

"You have a daughter, I'm your wife I think I has a right to know about this!" River snapped, "who was she, Doctor? Well"

"River, look, it's not what you think," the Doctor tried to reason.

"No Doctor, I think it is," River said directing a glare at him he'd only ever seen used against their enemy's, "who was she?"

"River just stop and listen. Jenny is my daughter, but not like you think. She was created by a progenitor device,"

"Really Doctor? I thought you could come up with something better than that,"

"It's true!" Jenny spoke up from behind the Doctor.

He turned to look at her and gave a reassuring smile.

"A progenitor?" River asked slightly calmer.

"Yeah, progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids then recombine them in a different arrangement and grow, very quickly," the Doctor explained at his usual thousand words per minute speed. "No wait hang on, Jenny I'm not trying to be rude but you died,"

"She died?" River asked only just understanding the Doctor's explanation.

"Yeah I have a theory, I've looked up time lord regeneration. So that as well as the knowledge I got from being your daughter I think that I came back because it was the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Well technically it was a regeneration since I am a version version of you." Jenny explained

"Good theory, but more importantly whats going on here and why do you have a gun?" The Doctor asked slightly more interested in the second one.

"Well in answer to your first question I managed to, well we'll say borrow a vortex manipulator from some lovely time agents and link it into the Messaline ship. I travel just like you do and it's a EMP gun. A prototype I made to stun cybermen, it's more for aesthetics really,"

"Wow you really are his daughter," River said, "Cybermen?"

"Yeah I've run into all sorts of trouble, lots of it because of who my dad is," Jenny said glancing a look at the Doctor to tell him not to be too offended by that. The Doctor smiled at his daughter but felt a cold chill run down his spine.

"Oh isn't this sweet, happy families," A voice said.

The Doctor span around trying to find out who the voice came from.

"And after all this time I've finally found you," the figure stepped from the shadows and the Doctor's hearts stopped.

* * *

**A prequel for the next chapter for the first person to PM me who the mystery person is.**


	8. Chapter 7 - My Name

**A/N : so I've decided to end the story with this chapter. I know the story didn't end up being as long as I thought it would be, but it's getting up to exam time and I've got less and less time to write. I'm hoping to continue it and with any luck I'll have the start of a sequel up soon, then updates will probably be once or twice a week. So here is the last chapter of 'After Darillium'.**

* * *

Chapter 7  
My Name

"No, this isn't...how, how are you here?!" The Doctor asked in shock.

"Please Doctor, you're the one who hid Gallifrey in another universe, without that I never would have escaped."

"But that universe was frozen in time and sealed away, even I couldn't bring them back without answering the question, how did you escape?" The Doctor asked again.

River and Jenny stood back in silence as the Doctor's eyes slowly filled with rage.

"I was escaping, the time lords did not kill me after we returned to the time war. During the fall of Arcadia I ran, stole a TARDIS but before I could leave you showed up, all thirteen, there was no way I could leave. When the high counsel opened the crack it was enough for me to escape. I've spent the past 200 years looking Doctor and here we all are." The man said with a smile.

Jenny and River had no idea what was happening, the man obviously knew the Doctor and the Doctor knew him. But who was he, it was Jenny who finally spoke up.

"Who are you?"

"My name is the Master," As his name was revealed River knew who he was but Jenny still didn't understand.

"Dad, who is he to you," Jenny asked the Doctor.

"Dad? Well this is interesting, been busy while I was gone Doctor?" The master said tauntingly.

"Leave her alone." The Doctor said, his eyes darkened.

"I don't think so, my rules now," before the Doctor or River could react the master had moved, at lighting speed, behind Jenny and wrapped one arm around her neck and placed his hand on her forehead. "One move and she dies,"

"I swear if you hurt her I will end you," The Doctor snapped.

River moved one hand to the holster of her gun and waited.

"Doctor, you are in no position to make threats," the Master began "and take the gun and throw it here,"

The Doctor turned to River and nodded. She slowly removed the gun from the holster and threw it to the Master's feet.

"Good, I haven't seen you around before. New is she Doctor?" The Master asked.

"I'm his wife," River stood forward.

"Oh this just gets better and better," the Master laughed "a wife Doctor, you should know better than to get involved with humans, so frail and such short lives"

"Human plus," River said "I'm part time lord,"

"Well well, you've got a little time lord family all of your own. But now I have to leave, if you try to follow me or stop me your daughter dies,"

The Master began to back up and Jenny struggled against him.

"Now now dear, say goodbye to daddy," the Master said.

"Dad?" Jenny said still trying to break free.

"Jenny it's ok, it doesn't matter where he takes you. I will find you, I promise. And when I do," he paused looking to the Master "I will rip you apart for hurting her."

"Good luck finding me, goodbye" as the Master finished speaking there was a crackle of electricity and they were gone.

The Doctor quickly whipped his sonic from his jacket and scanned the area where the Master had teleported.

"Ahhh! No!" The Doctor shouted as he threw his sonic to the ground in rage.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" River asked.

"There's nothing, no teleport energy, he's got some sort of device that doesn't leave an energy signature. There's nothing to follow."

"Doctor it's ok, we'll find something. We can find them." River tried to console him.

"I know River, but how long will it take. Look how long it took me to find you after Demons Run, three years and this time it's the Master. The only person in the universe as intelligent as me and 10 times more ruthless. I just don't think we'll find them in time for Jenny to forgive me."

"Oh sweetie," River said wrapping her arms around the Doctor and pulling him into a tight embrace "of course she will forgive you. I promise we won't stop until we find them."

"No, not us. Me. You're going home." The Doctor said pushing River away and walking back to the TARDIS.

"Doctor you can't..." River began running after him.

"No River, you heard what I said. The Master is the most ruthless and deadly person I have ever fought. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants and this time...I don't know what he's after. I am not going to lose you again, not to him." The Doctor pushed open the TARDIS doors and walked to the console.

"Doctor I know you're upset but that it no reason..."

"IT IS ALL THE REASON THAT I NEED!" He shouted. "I will not lose anyone else to that man!"

For the first time in his company River was afraid. The Doctor had never raised his voice at her like that before, that was all she needed to know that she should just agree with his plan.

As the Doctor piloted the TARDIS to River's house in fifty-first century the ship shook violently as it traveled through the vortex. The TARDIS seemed to feel the same anger and fear the Doctor did, but was still opposed to him sending River home. After his outburst River didn't even try to help him fly, let alone mock him for it.

When the TARDIS landed down outside River's home, River did not try any of their normal flirting she did not even met his eye as she walked out the ship. As the TARDIS doors closed behind her River sighed and walked towards her home.

Feeling something close around her hand River turned, prepared to defend herself. Met by the sight of the Doctor, River had only a second to be confused before his lips met hers in a rough, passionate and apologetic kiss. When the Doctor pulled back he met River's eyes.

"I know you don't want me to leave you.." The Doctor began.

"Then don't," River cut in.

"You've never seen him, since the first time you met me the Master had been dead for a long time. You have never seen what he's like. He has had countless plans to destroy the Earth and has succeeded in only a few. I have seen him stand above a world on fire, seen him force people watch whole countries burn, kill hundreds without mercy and tear reality apart. The Master is my oldest and deadliest enemy, I count it luckily that he stayed dead for this long. When I find Jenny, safe and alive, I will come straight here for you. But until then I need you to stay safe. Go back to the university and teach, visit the Ponds, just do whatever you need to do to live without me."

"You can't do this alone," River tried to convince him.

"I have to, because there's no one else."

"Me."

"No River," the Doctor said, "there is no way I can lose you."

And with that the Doctor turned and walked back into the TARDIS.

To Be Continued  
In  
After Darillum - The Master Plan

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**Thats it. Please review and tell me if you want me to write the sequel, I probably will anyway, and if there are any other characters you would like to make an appearance in 'The Master Plan'.**


	9. Authors Note

As a note to all those already following this story the sequel to 'After Darillium' will be published by Sunday. Thanks to all those who followed and favourited both versions of this story and I hope you enjoy the next one.


	10. Authors Note 2

Massive apologies everyone but I haven't had time to finish the first chapter of 'The Master Plan'. It will definitely be uploaded tomorrow and then every Wednesday and the occasional Friday if I have a chapter written in advance.

If there is any characters you would like to see make an appearance in the sequel PM me and I'll write them in alongside the characters I am already planning to have return.

Thanks for your patience and I hope you all enjoy the sequel when it is uploaded.


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